Two extraordinary individual performances in respective winning efforts allowed Marko Pecarski of 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys and Axel Bouteille of Bahcesehir College Istanbul to share co-MVP honors in Round 5 of the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup season.

Round 5 co-MVPs: Marko Pecarski and Axel Bouteille

Two extraordinary individual performances in respective winning efforts allowed Marko Pecarski of 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys and Axel Bouteille of Bahcesehir College Istanbul to share co-MVP honors in Round 5 of the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup season.

Pecarski helped Lietkabelis record its first win of the campaign, having dominated in an 84-80 win over the previously unbeaten Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse. Pecarski had a career-high 34 PIR and scored a career-best 22 points on perfect shooting after going 8 for 8 on two-pointers, 1 for 1 from three-point range and 3 for 3 on free throws. His 22 points without missing a shot are the eighth most in EuroCup history and a record for a Lietkabelis player. Pecarski also posted 8 rebounds, his second-highest tally this season, and tied his career high with 2 blocks. He drew 3 fouls, too. Bouteille led Bahcesehir to a 75-92 road win over Buducnost VOLI Podgorica. He had a season-high 21 points on 5-of-6 two-pointers, 3-of-7 three-pointers and 2-of-3 free throws, adding a career-high 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and 3 fouls drawn for a PIR of 34, his highest mark in 78 EuroCup career games.

The third-best PIR in Round 5 belonged to Dreamland Gran Canaria’s Miquel Salvo, who had a career-best 32 PIR in his team’s 125-78 win over ratiopharm Ulm. Salvo netted a career-high 20 points, going 2 for 3 on two-pointers, 2 for 2 on three-pointers and 10 for 11 on free throws, while he also recorded 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 6 drawn fouls. His +36 in the plus-minus column is the second-highest mark of any player this season. Jaka Blazic of Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana posted a PIR of 29 after amassing 19 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals in his team’s 75-82 win at Aris Midea Thessaloniki. Rounding out the list of top performers is Umana Reyer Venice’s Rodney McGruder, who had a PIR of 28 on his club and EuroCup debut, as the guard finished with 28 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists and 4 steals in an 80-68 win against Veolia Towers Hamburg.

### Individual highs: Rodney McGruder, Reyer, 28 points

Reyer’s Rodney McGruder scored a round-high 28 points on his club and EuroCup debut. Jared Harper of Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem is the competition's top scorer at 20.4 points per game.

Axel Bouteille of Bahcesehir College Istanbul led all rebounders by pulling down 12 in Round 5. Mfiondu Kabengele ranks first overall at 10.2 rebounds per night.

Six players – Hapoel Sholomo Tel Aviv's Patrick Beverley, Cedevita’s Devante Jones, Valencia Basket's Xabi Lopez-Arostegui, Trefl Sopot’s Tarik Phillip and Jakub Schenk, and Hamburg’s Brae Ivey – dished 7 assists, the most in Round 5. Zavier Simpson of U-BT Cluj-Napoca ranks first overall with 7.5 assists per contest on average.

McGruder, Harper and Dreamland Gran Canaria’s Carlos Alocen each recorded 4 steals in Round 5, the most in this round. Beverley leads the overall standings with 2.4 per game.

Two players – Buducnost's Aleksa Ilic and Aris’ Joshua Roberts – had a round-high 3 blocks. Ilic and Jaen-Marc Pansa of Bourg are tied for first overall with 2.0 blocks per night.

Bouteille (21 points, 12 rebounds) was the only player to post a double-double.

Two players share the MVP honor for Round 5.

Congratulations to Rokas Joneliunas, our fifth winner in the 2024-25 EuroCup Fantasy Challenge! Rokas's team, Rubšta GOAT, posted a score of 191.7.

EuroCup Fantasy Challenge: Round 5 winner

Congratulations to Rokas Joneliunas, our fifth winner in the 2024-25 [EuroCup Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/)! Rokas's team, Rubšta GOAT, posted a score of 191.7.

The team featured the following lineup: Jared Harper of Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem as team captain, Noa Essengue of ratiopharm Ulm, Semi Ojeleje of Valencia Basket, Nico Brussino of Dreamland Gran Canaria and Marko Pecarski of 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys as the other starters. Carl Wheatle of Umana Reyer Venice was his sixth man, while Adam Mokoka of U-BT Cluj-Napoca, Jaime Pradilla of Valencia and Lietkabelis duo of Georgios Kalaitzakis and Mantas Rubstavicius made up the rest of the bench. Nenad Canak of Lietkabelis was the head coach.

The prize for finishing first in Round 5 is a free subscription to Euroleague TV for the 2025-26 season!

We have a steady leader in the overall standings, too, as Bert Bjelobradic's squad named Rodijaci i Kumovi has a total of 876.05 points after the first five rounds and is ahead everyone else. Trades are now open for Round 6. Remember, four trades are allowed before each round until the end of the regular season.

Make new teams now or improve your existing ones and try to become EuroCup Fantasy Challenge's next winner!

EuroCup Fantasy Challenge offers weekly prizes to the top team manager, so get in the game and go for the gold!

Trento forward Anthony Lamb had a key role as his team stunned Hapoel Tel Aviv BC to win in Round 5 of the 2024-25 EuroCup season.

Anthony Lamb shined for Trento in surprise win over Hapoel

[Anthony Lamb](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/anthony-lamb/013272/) played a major role in [Dolomiti Energia Trento upsetting Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/trento-shocks-hapoel-with-fourth-quarter-comeback-79-73/) in the best game of his young BKT EuroCup career.

The European rookie scored a game-high 23 points in Trento’s 79-73 shocker over Hapoel to snap a two-game losing streak in Group A. Lamb also collected 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 1 block – the latter coming with 15 seconds left – for a PIR of 24. He also clinched the game with two free throws with 15 seconds remaining.

Game Videos

“My teammates put me in a great spot and we took advantage of mismatches and we made the most of it,” said Lamb, who played last season in the Australian NBL for the New Zealand Breakers in his first season outside the United States.

“My teammates played unbelievably hard. We cleaned up the rebounds and a lot of the turnovers. Hapoel is an amazing team and they played so hard the whole game. It was a really tough win.”

Lamb was big throughout the game, scoring six of Trento’s first 12 points to get the team rolling right away. And the 26-year-old tallied nine points in the game-deciding 20-5 run over the final seven minutes to get the win.

“Anthony was clutch,” stated Trento coach Paolo Galbati.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Crazy 🖤🦅🔥</p>&mdash; Dolomiti Energia Trento (@AquilaBasketTN) <a href="https://twitter.com/AquilaBasketTN/status/1849181894988243268?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The forward has been strong all season for Trento, coming into the game averaging 11.8 points, though he had struggled from long range at just 22% three-point shooting entering the game. Lamb has shown he can handle the ball and be a playmaker at times with 7 assists against Trefl Sopot in Round 2. And he demonstrated against Hapoel that he knows how to step up in big moments.

Lamb came to Trento with some decent pedigree, being named as the All-American East Conference Player of the Year in 2019 and 2020 at the University of Vermont, winning the NBA G League title in 2022 with Rio Grande Valley Vipers and playing for United States at the FIBA AmeriCup 2022. Lamb also reached the NBA Western Conference semifinals in 2023 with the Golden State Warriors, albeit as a bit-part player.

He is definitely someone the rest of the EuroCup teams will not take lightly anymore.

Game News

The former Golden State Warrior was clutch down the stretch

Dolomiti Energia Trento v Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv (2024-10-23T18:00:00.000Z)

Bahcesehir College Istanbul registered it fourth win of the EuroCup season on Wednesday, securing a 17-point triumph in the Montenegrin capital over Buducnost VOLI Podgorica. This 75-92 win was a classic tale of two halves.

'Way better defense' saw Bahcesehir flip the script at Buducnost

Bahcesehir College Istanbul registered it fourth win of the BKT EuroCup season on Wednesday, [securing a 17-point triumph in the Montenegrin capital](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/bahcesehir-sinks-buducnost-on-the-road-75-92/) over Buducnost VOLI Podgorica. This 75-92 win was a classic tale of two halves.

In the first, Buducnost nailed 10 three-pointers and led by as many as eight points. The hosts scored 49 points behind [Fletcher Magee](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/fletcher-magee/012630/), who had 23 points on 5-of-6 three-point shooting.

In the second, Bahcesehir allowed just 26 points, including just 7 in the third quarter. The visitors finished the quarter on a 0-17 run, which allowed them to open a 56-70 lead and cruise the rest of the way.

"We needed to improve our defense," Bahcesehir head coach Dejan Radonjic said of his team's adjustments between the second and third quarters. "We did a lot of good things in the second half, and also offensively we played smart."

Bahcesehir's defense held Buducnost to just 34.5% on two-pointers in this game, and also just 3-for-15 three-point shooting in the second half. What's more, the Turkish side forced 13 turnovers, including 11 in the last two quarters.

"I think our offense was good the whole game, but our defense was way better in the second half," admitted Bahcesehir's [Axel Bouteille](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/axel-bouteille/003840/), who finished with 21 points, 12 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 assists and 0 turnovers.

"I think we played consistently on offense and that's why we won tonight," Bouteille added.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">Buduċnost VOLI galibiyetimizin MVP&#39;si 21 sayı, 12 ribaund, 6 asist, 34 verimlilik puanı performansıyla Axel Bouteille oldu. <a href="https://t.co/EY4OLDWsNZ">pic.twitter.com/EY4OLDWsNZ</a></p>&mdash; Bahçeşehir Koleji Spor Kulübü (@BKBasketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/BKBasketbol/status/1849182128078254485?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Alongside Bouteille, [Sehmus Hazer](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/sehmus-hazer/011201/) had an all-round performance of 14 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists, while [Jaleen Smith](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jaleen-smith/011192/) netted 20 points.

With four wins after five rounds, and the EuroCup's second-best point difference (+86), Bahcesehir has shown that it is aiming high this season.

The visitors allowed just 7 third-quarter points en route to a big road win

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica v Bahcesehir College Istanbul (2024-10-23T17:30:00.000Z)

Jaka Blazic inspired KK Cedevita Olimpija to an impressive road win at Aris BC in Round 4 of the 2024-25 EuroCup season.

Jaka Blazic turned back the clock to inspire Cedevita past Aris

There are not many players who can boast [Jaka Blazic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jaka-blazic/003452/)’s on-court experience in the BKT EuroCup. On Wednesday night, the Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana captain proved on the road at Aris Midea Thessaloniki that time hasn’t dimmed his star.

The 34-year-old guard put together a player-of-the-game display on Greek soil and led his team to [a 75-82 road victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/cedevita-rallies-back-to-down-aris-75-82/) that allowed Cedevita to improve to a 4-1 record. In fact, Cedevita’s 4-1 start is made all the more impressive given that the club had gone 4-32 over the last two EuroCup seasons.

Boosted by the crowd at Palais De Sports, Aris took a 48-37 lead into the second half. Meanwhile, Cedevita struggled to get stops on defense and didn’t manage to find its flow on the other end. The player who carried the Slovenian side on his shoulders was none other than Blazic, who produced a mature performance. The Cedevita guard recorded 10 first-half points, going a perfect 3 for 3 from inside the arc and 4 for 4 from the charity stripe.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="sl" dir="ltr">📊 Končna statistika tekme:<br><br>➡ Blažič 19 točk / 5 skokov / valorizacija 29<br>➡ Robinson 18 točk <br>➡ Stewart 15 točk / 8 skokov / valorizacija 23<br>➡ Radović 10 točk / 5 skokov<br>➡ Nikolić 6 točk<br>➡ Geben 6 točk<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ZmajevaDruzina?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ZmajevaDruzina</a> <a href="https://t.co/4ve5lxKALT">pic.twitter.com/4ve5lxKALT</a></p>&mdash; Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (@KKCedOL) <a href="https://twitter.com/KKCedOL/status/1849168557814223173?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The guests turned the tide after the break, putting an emphasis on their defense and holding Aris to 13 and 14 points, respectively, in the last two quarters to pull off a hard-fought comeback. Blazic spearheaded Cedevita’s effort on both ends, playing a key role in its fourth-quarter run. In the last seven minutes of the game, the experienced guard recorded 7 points, 2 assists and 2 important steals to help Cedevita gain back the momentum, outscore Aris 14-28 and seal the victory.

“We showed character in the second half, especially on defense and through that we got easy points on offense and confidence,” Blazic said after the game. “At the end we also showed character when the game was close. On defense we were aggressive, we changed some things and it worked. We will build on this and hope to get more wins in the EuroCup.”

Blazic nailed 4 free throws that saw him move into sixth place all-time in EuroCup charts with 284 free throws made. He ended the duel with a game-high 19 points, as well as 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 4 fouls drawn for a season-high PIR of 29.

Had he added another 3 points to his tally, he would be now tied with E.J. Rowland in sixth place overall in the scoring charts. Yet, Blazic will surely enjoy reaching that milestone on home soil next week, when Cedevita is set to host Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem at Arena Stozice.

The veteran guard was instrumental in the Slovenian side grabbing its fourth win of the season

Aris Midea Thessaloniki v Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (2024-10-23T17:00:00.000Z)

U-BT Cluj-Napoca showed impressive fight and determination as it beat Hapoel Jerusalem in the EuroCup on Wednesday night.

Cluj outmuscled Hapoel with steely defense and hustle 

Flying after a 67-103 demolition of Veolia Towers Hamburg in the previous round of the BTK EuroCup, U-BT Cluj-Napoca carried its momentum into Round 5 for [an impressive 73-81 victory at Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/resilient-cluj-holds-firm-to-stun-hapoel-jerusalem-73-81/).

[Karel Guzman](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/karel-guzman/011797/) stood out with a career-high 20 points for Cluj, which prevailed in almost all departments as the visitors won the battle of the boards 46-34 and nailed 11-of-26 three-pointers against a mere 6 of 23 sank by the Israeli outfit.

In addition, Cluj was clinical from the foul line as the visitors buried 10-of-12 free throws while Hapoel made 19 of 30, highlighting the home team’s scoring woes. With both sides hustling and playing aggressive defense, turnovers piled up at both ends as Cluj committed 22 and Hapoel had 16.

However, Cluj did a better job sharing the ball as it racked up 17 assists while Hapoel only managed 12 against a stingy visiting defense which cut out the supply routes to the home side’s shooters.

Despite Guzman’s heroics, including a clutch three-pointer which completed Cluj’s 0-13 run for an unassailable 67-80 lead in the closing stages, it was the relentless [Adam Mokoka](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/adam-mokoka/012698/) who won the player of the game award with 14 points and 9 boards.

“It’s a good team and very talented offensively but we never stopped fighting,” Mokoka said in a post-game courtside interview. “We had ups and downs, but from the beginning to the end we kept playing together and that’s how we got this win. We are in a good spell right now and we will try to build from here."

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Cluj head coach Mihai Silvasan was pleased with his team’s effort but also rued a serious injury suffered by captain [Patrick Richard](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/patrick-richard/011801/).

“I am very happy with the performance and the fact that we won on a very difficult court against a good team,” he said.

“It’s a sign that we are growing from game to game in our effort to become a better team. Unfortunately, we just found out that our captain Patrick Richard suffered a double fracture to his hand and we’re very sad about that. We need to move forward step by step and be a team in every sense of the word.”

In Round 6, Cluj is at home to Umana Reyer Venice while Hapoel visits Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana as the battle for postseason spots in Group B intensifies.

The hosts endured a torrid night against the physical Romanian outfit, which forced a barrage of tough shots and dominated the boards

Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem v U-BT Cluj-Napoca (2024-10-23T16:30:00.000Z)

Trento defeated Hapoel Tel Aviv BC 79-73 in Round 5 of the 2024-25 EuroCup season to stun the Israeli side.

Trento shocks Hapoel with fourth-quarter comeback, 79-73 

Dolomiti Energia Trento pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the young BKT EuroCup season as it shocked Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv 79-73 at home, bouncing back from two bad losses in a row. Trento trailed by nine points with under seven minutes to go against the EuroCup title contender before finishing the game on a 20-5 run. 

Anthony Lamb scored nine of his 23 points in the final stretch and Jordan Ford tallied 17 points as Trento improved to a 2-3 mark in Group A. The Italian team had lost its last two games by 21 and 40 points and Hapoel had won its last three games. Marcus Foster was on his way to becoming the hero before Trento’s big finish, scoring 18 points, while Johnathan Motley collected 16 points and 6 rebounds in a losing effort. Hapoel fell to 3-2 in the group.

Trento scored the first four points of the game, with a second score from Lamb giving the Italian side a 10-4 lead. A three-pointer by Toto Forray increased the cushion to 17-8 as Trento’s defense held strong in the early going. Eigirdas Zukauskas twice scored to extend the gap to double figures 26-16 and the home side was up 26-18 after 10 minutes.

Saliou Niang opened the second quarter with a triple for the home side, which gave Trento a 29-18 lead. The hosts’ offense stalled with just one jumper over the next 6:10 minutes while Motley scored eight points in a 2-14 run to pull Hapoel ahead, 31-32. Trento punched back with a 10-2 surge to move back ahead 41-34 and went into the break with a 41-38 lead.

Lamb’s triple early in the second half was matched by a Foster three-pointer and Motley gave the guests the lead, 44-45. Lamb continued his strong game with another score while Foster knocked down another triple. The game remained tight and the lead changed hands three times in the final 61 seconds of the third quarter, with Hapoel 57-58 ahead after 30 minutes.

Hapoel started the fourth quarter better, especially Foster, who had eight straight points including two dunks for a 59-68 advantage with under seven minutes to go. Trento picked up its defense and held the guests scoreless for nearly five minutes to even the game at 68-68. And Myles Cale converted a four-point play to make it 72-70 with 1:45 minutes to go. Joe Ragland evened the game, 73-73, with a three-pointer with 49 seconds to go, only to have Lamb hit a fadeaway jumper with 32 seconds remaining to put the hosts back up. Lamb added a blocked shot and two free throws to his stat line with 15 seconds to go for a 77-73 lead to ice the game.

The Italian side responded after suffering two heavy defeats in Rounds 3 and 4

Bahcesehir College Istanbul continued its winning ways, using a big third-quarter run en route to beating Buducnost VOLI Podgorica 75-92 on Wednesday night. Bahcesehir improved its record to 4-1, tied for the best in Group A, while Buducnost dropped to 2-3 record.

Bahcesehir sinks Buducnost on the road, 75-92

Bahcesehir College Istanbul continued its winning ways in the BKT EuroCup, using a big third-quarter run en route to beating Buducnost VOLI Podgorica 75-92 on Wednesday night. Bahcesehir improved its record to 4-1, tied for the best in Group A, while Buducnost dropped to a 2-3 record. 

The two teams traded runs, and leads, but with a 0-17 run to end the third quarter, Bahcesehir turned a slim deficit into a 14-point lead and never looked back. Axel Bouteille paced the winners with a double-double of 21 points and 12 rebounds. Jaleen Smith finished with 20 points, Sehmus Hazer collected 14 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists, while Marko Simonovic had 13 points and 7 rebounds. For Buducnost, Fletcher Magee scored all of his 23 points in the first half. Yogi Ferrell netted 19, while Rasheed Sulaimon scored 12 in a losing effort.

The visitors jumped ahead right away with a three from Tyler Cavanaugh, as well as baskets from Tai Odiase and Smith. The latter also knocked down a triple, but so did Ferrell and Sulaimon to cut it to 10-12. But Bahcesehir scored the next 7 points, a run capped by another three from Smith to make it 10-19.  Buducnost did not score a field goal for more than four minutes until Ferrell nailed a transition triple, and Magee's four-point play got the hosts' deficit within four points before Hazer made it 20-26 after 10 minutes.

What Magee started late in the first, he continued early in the second, first hit a long jumper, then a corner triple, followed by another four-point play to cut it to 29-30. McKinley Wright put Buducnost in front. Bahcesehir needed nearly five minutes for its first field goal in the second quarter, a CJ Massinburg's triple which snapped an 11-0 run, and tied things at 33-33. A triple and two-pointer from Bouteille helped restore Bahcesehir's lead, 38-41, only for Buducnost to go on another 11-0 run, with Magee sinking a pair of triples and Ferrell adding one. The hosts opened a 49-41 lead, but the visitors halved it from the free-throw line, making it 49-45 at halftime.

Baskets were far fewer and far between in the third quarter. Hazer did make a triple to put Bahcesehir up 49-50, but big men Andrija Slavkovic, Kenan Kamenjas and Nikola Tanaskovic restored a lead for the hosts, 56-53, midway through the third quarter. But Bouteille scored after an offensive rebound, Simonovic nailed a three-pointer, then after a timeout, Bouteille hit a transition triple. A close-range basket from Odiase and a buzzer-beating triple from Hazer made it 56-70 after 30 minutes.

Bahcesehir needed almost three minutes to score in the fourth, but Buducnost scored just five points in that span, not using its defensive effort to full extent. Ferrell's three-point play cut it to 66-76, but Bouteille knocked down a triple on the other end. A tough runner from Smith helped the visitors open a 69-83 lead, as they were in full control. Wright and Ferrell hit a triple apiece to cut it to 75-84, but that's as close as the hosts got as Smith led Bahcesehir's final charge and a 17-point win, the game's largest margin of the night.

Dejan Radonjic's men grabbed their fourth win of the season

KK Cedevita Olimpija beat Aris BC 75-82 in Round 5 of the 2024-25 EuroCup to improve to a 4-1 record.

Cedevita rallies back to down Aris, 75-82

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana completed a fourth-quarter comeback to defeat Aris Midea Thessaloniki 75-82 at Palais De Sports on Wednesday night. Aris was leading for the majority of the game, but Cedevita outscored the hosts 14-28 in the last quarter to clinch the victory and improved its record to 4-1. Having recorded its third home loss of the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup season, Aris dropped to 1-4.

Jaka Blazic led all scorers with 19 points and Devin Robinson netted 18, with DJ Stewart and Rok Radovic scoring 15 and 10, respectively. For the hosts, Vassilis Toliopoulos bagged a team-high 17 points, followed by Landers Nolley, who scored 15. D'Moi Hodge recorded 12 points and David DeJulius added 10. Cedevita went 4-32 over the last two seasons and now finds itself 4-1, showing the marked improvement the team has made this year.

James Banks got Aris going with a mid-range jumper before Nolley nailed a triple for a 5-0 lead. Yet, Cedevita responded, with Robinson registering his first three points of the game to tie it at 7-7. Trey Woodbury and Banks scored in the paint to put Aris back ahead, but the visitors responded with a 0-7 run inspired by Robinson and Blazic, both of whom took their tally to six early points for an 11-16 lead. Then, Vassilis Toliopoulos drilled two straight triples, but DeVante Jones put Cedevita back in front with a layup, 17-19. Yet, a three-point play from Toliopoulos and a buzzer-beating put-back bucket from Emmanouil Chatzidakis gave Aris a 24-23 lead after 10 minutes.

A slow start to the second half saw the two teams struggle to get a field goal for almost three minutes before DeJulius splashed a triple to make it 27-25. Then, Aris went on a 7-0 run as Blazic and Nolley traded baskets before the latter slammed a dunk in transition and Hodge nailed a triple to extend Aris’ lead to 38-29. Five points from Toliopoulos and a DeJulius jumper allowed the hosts to maintain a 45-35 cushion. Hodge drilled a second three-pointer, but Blazic made 2 of 2 from the line to reduce the difference to 48-37 at the break and moved into sixth place all-time in the EuroCup with 284 made free throws.

Woodbury sank a triple to start the third quarter and Banks scored down low for a 53-41 Aris lead. Yet, Cedevita responded, with Blazic netting his team’s first triple of the game to inspire a 2-11 surge that brought them within 55-52. But Aris tightened its defense and responded with a 6-2 run of its own to take a 61-54 lead into the closing quarter.

Smooth ball circulation allowed Hodge to nail his fourth triple, but Rok Radovic responded from beyond the arc, trimming the deficit to 64-57. Five points from Robinson and another six from Blazic put Cedevita ahead, 68-71. No field goal was scored for three minutes before Robinson netted one from inside to extend Cedevita’s lead to 70-76 with 2:23 left on the clock. Aris fought back, with Nathan Laszewski scoring a put-back basket and Toliopoulos nailing one from downtown to cut the difference to 75-78 with one minute remaining. But Cedevita was clinical on the other end, with a Robinson dunk sealing the outcome.